


The Lapse and Reveal

by Jeniouis



Series: Howard Stark Centered Fics [16]
Category: Avengers (2012), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dom Maria, Dom Tony, Dom/Sub AU, F/M, Gen, Good Father!Howard, Kidnapping, M/M, Mpreg, Sexual Slavery, Sub Howard, Sub Steve, Whump!Howard, Work In Progress, but so much fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2298179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeniouis/pseuds/Jeniouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was two thirty in the morning. Maria woke up in the middle of the night in an empty bed.</p><p>She would have never, in a million years, suspected the reason why she was alone tonight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this fic is more of a D/s fic but there are element of ABO so any Sub is an omega, switches are betas and Doms are alphas.

_It was two-thirty in the morning. Too late for her ever working husband to be tinkering in his lab. Matter of fact, Maria had a rule against it. She sighed as she rose from their bed and put on a robe. She wondered why Howard thought he could maneuver past her, they had a bond, have had since before they were even considering marriage ten years ago. Back when they were barely teens and had imprinted on each other. And during all this time, Howard still tried to play her._

_Maria chuckled fondly as she exited their bedroom and started walking down the hall, following the familiar path down to the basement stairs. It wasn't done disrespectfully; it was playful. She supposed Howard just wanted to keep some spice in their marriage. As if she could ever get bored with him in the first place._

_Normally, she probably wouldn't have bothered. She knew Howard loved his work so she usually let him as long as he wasn't exhausting himself. But right now he was pregnant. 'Bout ready to pop actually and she didn't want him to far from her, not just her alpha instinct to protect but what would happen of his water broke and he was all the way downstairs, locked away in the lab? Maria sighed as she descended the stairs and opened the lab door. She looked about the complete chaos of mess, trying to find her husband. She smiled when her eyes caught him tinkering on something that Maria didn't recognize, couldn't even begin to explain. Intellectually, she and Howard matched. But Maria put all her efforts into the medical science. Her lab was in the attic. They had separate labs because Maria liked organization and Howard strew things about._

_"Darling." Maria said softly; she didn't want to startle him. Even before he was conceived, Maria tried her very best to be gentle with her husband. He had enough horror and rough treatment in his past to last a lifetime or two._

_His eyes snapped up to her and widened a bit but his charismatic smile quirked his lips,_

_"Babe, I didn't know you were up. Um, this isn't what it looks like." Howard said as he quickly set down the wrench in his hand and started wobbling over to her, a hand gently rubbing his protruding baby bump. Maria rolled her eyes fondly but was quick to move by his side, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him._

_"Rule two hundred and nineteen, Howie." Maria reminded him without any real force behind her words. Which was probably why Howard kept breaking the rules. But Maria could never be forceful with her husband._

_"I'm sorry Maria. I just didn't want to be too behind with my work when I go back." Howard said, looking up at her with slight fear and nervousness. Remnants of an abusive father and a mother who didn't nothing to stop it. Howard was alway deathly afraid of disappointing her, was afraid Maria would punish him though she never had and never will. Though he has gotten better during the years. The piercing horror that used to flood his eyes was now nothing more then a fleeting moment of uncertainty. Though Maria doubted that he would ever be without fear. Her husband will always carry baggage of what happened and Maria understood that._

_"It's alright darling. Lets just go back to bed." Maria said, giving him a gentle peck on the cheek. She helped him up the stairs and led him back to their bedroom._

_"I can't wait until Antonius is born. That way I can sleep in my stomach again." Howard said as Maria helped him settle in bed. She chuckled._

_"Antonio." Maria corrected him. They have been playfully arguing about this for months._

_"Antonius. It's the name of warriors darling. Don't you want your son to be a warrior." Howard said as he snuggled close to Maria as she settle beside him in the bed. Maria laughed as she gently rubbed their son nesting in Howard's stomach._

_"No, warriors die young in battle. I want him to live as possible." Maria said and Howard shrugged._

_"No worries, I'll create a serum or something that will keep him alive forever." Howard said and Maria chuckled._

_"Knowing you, it's probably already made." Maria said and Howard smiled._

_"You know me too well." Howard said sleepily before he gently doze off a few seconds after. Maria smiled fondly and kissed his cheek, whispering,_

_"I love you." In his ear before she settled and went to sleep herself._

~

Maria wiped a tear from her eyes as she stared at the empty space beside her bed.

"Tony's going off to college tomorrow. You would be so proud of him Howard." Maria said to the air. It was something Howard had always looked forward to as Tony was growing up.

She had woken up in the middle of the night and the clock beside her bed read two thirty. She had so many memories of her and Howard that took place at the time. Her husband had been a night owl. It hurt to remember but Maria always figured that it would hurt more to forget so she tried to hold on to every memory she had. Even went as far as to write them all down. The good and the bad. Though there was more good than bad. Far more good.

Maria closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep but really, she knew she would restless for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Thirty Two Years Ago

Maria was in school. It was during recess and Maria did what she did everyday: go out pass the soccer field and sit under a tree by the gate to read book about diseases and disorders to try and figure out their probable cures. She looked around her, book in hand, to make sure none of the teachers had caught her sneak this far away from the school. Once she realized she was safe and alone, Maria sat down in the grass and leaned against the tree trunk. She raised her had to open her book to find herself empty handed. Wondering where her book went, Maria looked around a bit before she saw a boy sitting beside her on the other side of the gate, with her book in his hands. Impressive was Maria's first thought; he's really cute was her second.

"You know I can read." The boy started randomly as he flipped through the pages in the book. "I taught myself." Maria stared at him in confusion for a moment. She almost asked why teaching himself was necessary since he should have been taught in school before everything clicked. She leaned into the gate a little and sniffed him. She smelt a sweet scent from him. Almost like candy. It was the first time in her life she had ever smelled anything like it. Betas didn't even smell this sweet. The boy's brow furrowed when she sniffed him and he leaned back. "Stop that. You can't just sniff people without asking." He said without any force behind his words but his eyes widened slightly with fear and Maria hoped she hadn't scared him.

"You're an omega." Maria said, looking at him curiously. She found omegas very interesting. There were only a few books about them but when Maria found one she read it enthusiastically. She found omegas fascinating.

"You're going to leave now, aren't you?" The boy said sadly. "That's what all the other kids do." He said with such a lonely look in his eyes. Maria figured he probably was extremely lonely. Omegas were incredibly rare and they weren't allowed into school or very many social functions.

"No I'm not going to leave." Maria said quickly and reassuringly. The boy smiled happily as he reached her booked out to her, putting his hand between the wide spaces between the bars in the gate. Much to her dismay, the spaces were just tight enough that she probably wouldn't fit through.

Maria had meant to just take the book from his hands, she really did. But when she reached her hand out, it sort of kept going without her permission, and it didn't stop until her fingers gently brushed across his cheek. The boy didn't even startle as he leaned into her touch.

"I'm Maria; what's your name?" She asked, looking into his eyes. His big brown eyes. They sparkled a little though it seemed that their glimmer had been dimmed by something sad and had nothing to do with Maria.

"Howard." The boy said. They looked at each other for a moment. Just enjoying the simplistic peace of the moment before Howard looked at her through his lashes and smiled a little. "Alpha." He said quietly and Maria smiled. She liked hearing that word from his lips, the way it rolled off his tongue.

"Mine." Maria nearly jumped when her voice came out in a nearly possessive growl. Howard did jump but it wasn't from fear. He leaned into her a little more and Maria wished she could rip down the gate.

Howard seemed happy with her rubbing his cheek the way she was but in an instant his eyes turned to fear when someone barked out his name, yelling for him to bring his 'useless ass back into the house.' Howard was so afraid, Maria could tell and she reached out to him and hugged him as best as she could through the gate bars.

"Alpha." Howard whispered, his voice shaking with so much fear and hurt. "Save me." He said desperately and quietly as if he's been waiting for a savior for a long time. His expression turned to one of guilt and he opened his mouth to say something. Somehow, someway Maria just knew he was going to take his words back as if it were some bad thing to say but Maria quickly yet gently hushed him, already looking around for some way to get over to him. The tree seemed to be their only ally right now and Maria begrudgingly pulled away from Howard to climb it. She scooted across one of the branches over to the other side of the fence. She wrapped her legs around the fence and leaned down, holding out her hands. Without hesitation Howard reached up and grabbed her hands. He was far from heavy, Maria noted as she pulled him up with all the ease in the world just as a livid alphamale walked out the back door of the house that Maria assumed used to be Howard's house. The man cursed and yelled at Maria to bring the 'whore' back. Maria ignored him as she and Howard scooted back across the branch. They dropped down to the safe side of the fence. Once on the ground, Howard hid behind her back. And Maria stood in front of him protectively.

By then, all the ruckus the older man had been creating caught the attention of one of the teachers who quickly ran over to see what was going one. When she got there, she listened to the livid man yell that Maria had stolen his property. Anger boiled in Maria. It had been brewing since Howard's plea for her to save him but now all Maria wanted to do was jump back across that fence and kick that guy in the nuts.

Howard was terrified. Absolutely horrified. Maria didn't like it. Someone scaring what was hers like that made her want to throw a rock at the older man. She instead though turned around and wrapped her arms around Howard who quickly calmed in her embrace. The teacher looked down at them and smiled a little. She turned to the livid guy, saying that the two had imprinted and that Howard was now Maria's property. Maria's jaw dropped when she heard that. That seemed like a huge responsibly. She'd gladly take it if that meant keeping Howard safe but Maria hoped she could take care of him the way he needed to be taken care of.

"Thank you." Howard told Maria quietly, looking up at her threw his lashes, purring slightly as Maria held him in her arms. Maria had never heard an omega purr before. Her mother had told her that they only did so when they were happy.

Maria was glad she made him happy.

The teacher called Maria's mother and sent the two the school's guidance counselor. Howard marveled at being inside a school for the first time in his life. It also made him nervous, Maria could tell so she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and held him close as they walked into an office.

"What’s a guidance counselor?" Howard asked as he looked around.

"She's a woman that's supposed to help kids with their problems." Maria said, motioning for him to come and sit by her. "Was that alphamale your father?" Maria asked and Howard took a deep breath, nodding shakily. Maria gently grasped his hand because he started trembling, slightly.

"He hurts me. He says it’s my training. He says he's showing me how to be good for my alpha but it all hurts so much." Howard said as he looked at her with slight fear. Maria didn't like it; she never wanted Howard to be afraid of her. "Are you going to hurt me?"

Maria shook her head fervently, "No, never. I promise." Maria said with all the honesty in the world. Howard quickly calmed and smiled, lying his head on her shoulder.

The counselor, an alphawoman, came out after a while and talked to them. Well talked to Maria. The woman wasn't like Maria's teacher who was equal and kind. She ignored Howard, giving him a harsh look that made him lower his eyes and fold his hands behind his back. The woman never talked to him and if she needed to know something about him, she would ask Maria. They had just met; the only thing Maria knew about Howard was that he was her omega and that she was going to keep him protected. Maria told the counselor that and the woman said that they have a bond. That if Maria put her mind to it, she could search 'the omega's' side of the bond. Maria kindly reminded the counselor that his name was Howard. She gently touched his chin and raised it so that Howard was looking up. He submitting to her was one thing but Maria didn't want him submitting to anyone else. Matter of face, later when they were alone, she was going to make a rule of it.

The woman bristled but was wise enough to drop it. Well part of it anyway; the counselor repeated the question about Howard but still disregarded him. So Maria disregarded her, turning to Howard to talk with him. The counselor huffed at being ignored and stormed away.

After a few hours, Maria's mother came into the office looking every bit of flustered. She said she had to really argue with Howard's father about the price and everything but finally she got what they needed. She handed Maria a bill of service; it said that Maria Ann Stark was now the rightful owner of Howard Anthony Walter Cerrara. It angered Maria. She didn't want to own Howard; she didn't think of him as a piece of property. Her mother saw the consternation on her face and sighed.

"I don't like it either darling." Her mother said gently as she sat beside Howard, taking a good look him, smiling down at him kindly. "But think of it as a marriage license. Not quite the one everyone else in the world is given but let it symbolize the same thing."

Maria nodded; that was an excellent idea. Maria didn't like the words on it but she'll just imagine owner is synonymous to wife.

They brought Howard home with them. Her mother gave Howard his own bedroom, right beside Maria's. But Howard snuck into her bedroom, crawling in between the sheet to snuggle beside Maria. She wrapped her arms around her omega and held him close. They talked for hours, just getting to know each other. They almost got no sleep.

The next morning, when her mother saw Howard in Maria's bed she sighed. She said that they could share the bedroom (since it was obvious they were going to anyway) as long as they kept the door open. That seems like it should have been a very easy rule to keep but as the latter years would show, Howard could be quite mischievous. Got Maria into trouble all the time.

Not that Maria really minded.

Present

The rest of the world had called him her property. Maria had called him her husband. She loved him as so. The whole property thing usually escaped her mind unless some sexist fool would bring it up to her in some way. Though back when they had been young, freshly imprinted, the two would use the bill of service Maria had for him to their advantage for whatever devious deed Howard could concoct. And he certainly could come up with some doozies. And age didn't slow him down either. He just switched to more mature hijinks...sometimes.

Maria thought back to her husband and sighed as she stared at her sixteen year old son who was gazing back with hope filled eyes. His omega, Steve was standing a step behind him, looking down at the floor, wringing his hands nervously. Steve was used to Maria, was like another son to her. He only reverted back to his training when he and Tony were up to something. Something that usually Tony had dragged Steve into. Of all the traits to get from his father...

Tony's eyes flickered over to Steve and he huffed a little. He pulled Steve up so that they were standing side by side as he gently touched Steve's chin and raised it so he wasn't looking down.

Maria smiled; she had taught her alpha son well. She used to have to do that with Howard. Had to always remind him that they were both equal humans no matter what the rest of the world said. She had taught Tony the same doctrine. There were a few other alphas who believed the same thing and they lived within the same community. Sadly, the most sexist community loved directly across the street. And that's where Steve was from. He had endured almost the exact same abuse Howard had endured and thinking about that always made Maria's heart ache. But she was glad Tony was his alpha; she knew her some would take good care of Steve.

"Please momma, please. You snuck dad on campus with you back when went to college. He told me." Tony all but whined. Steve rolled his eyes fondly as well as Maria. She sighed in exasperation; it wasn't the complete truth. Maria had decided not to attend college if she couldn't take Howard with her. So her ever faithful husband hacked into MIT and accepted her as a student as well as gave her a boatload of scholarships. Then more or less hijacked Maria and made her go to college.

But she wasn't going to tell Tony all of that, she certainly didn't want to give him any ideas.

"Tony." Maria said. It wasn't like she was going to tell Tony what to do with _his_ omega. She just wished they would have brought this up sooner. Like not on the campus' Move-In Day.

"When we settle in our dorm, Steve and I will sleep in two separate bedrooms and we won't fool around so Steve won't get pregnant." Tony lied through his teeth. Well, he couldn't get all his characteristics from his mother.  Steve got nervous again, dropping his eyes and wringing his hands again. Steve was very morale. Very much like Maria herself and lying wasn't something he would readily do or could do without giving himself away. Maria sighed and pulled back Steve's collar, revealing a still healing but by new claim mark on the nape of his neck. Maria looked at Tony with a quirked eyebrow.

"I believe the fooling around has already been done." Maria said, more concerned about whether Steve had gotten pregnant or not rather than the fact they were sexually active. She actually knew around the time they started because three months ago Steve's scent changed, becoming intertwined with Tony's and he started spending a lot of nights in Tony's room. Steve lived with them of course. It was rare that an omega could imprint on their soulbond; they were usually sold and claimed before they had the opportunity and it was customary that an imprinted omega was to be 'purchased' by their alpha at an extremely reduced price and then sent off to live with their 'owners'. Maria hated the method but she was glad that she was able to get Steve out of his abusive home, if home is even what it could have been called. And because they were bonded, Maria figured they would end up fooling at some point. They actually lasted longer than Maria and Howard had. They started at fourteen. But they had been bonded longer than Steve and Tony. They bonded when they were fifteen. They were sixteen now. Maria as Howard bonded when they were ten.

Tony pulled Steve to him, resting the blonde's head on his shoulder,

"I don't want to leave him here alone." Tony said truthfully. "And you're great mom. You really are but I want him with me just like you want dad with you." Maria sighed.

"I know darling. But that's all up to you two. If you want Steve to go to MIT with you and if Steve wants to go, then take him." Maria said and the two boys beamed. "Buy where is Steve going to stay darling? I highly doubt the security guards are just going to let you waltz in with..." Maria trailed off because that guilty look was crossing on Steve's face again and Tony was becoming fidgety. "You hacked into MIT and accepted Steve as a student, didn't you?" Maria asked though she knew the answer. She rubbed her brow in frustration.

Tony shuffled on his feet nervously before he nodded shyly. Maria sighed; she had been sighing a lot since this whole conversation started.

"I-You-He..." Maria stammered before she sighed yet again. "A-alright Tony. Well hash this all out in the car, okay?" Maria said. They boys nodded quickly and took the remainder of their stuff to load in the car.

Maria went to do some last minute things before she left but she found herself chuckling at how similar Tony was to his father.

She missed Howard so much. She had been told about a year and a half ago that her husband had been killed in a car accident. She had been told that his body had been burnt beyond recognition.

But had that been true, their bond would have died with him. But it wasn't. Maria had been told that it took some time for the bond to die out; the stronger the bond had been between the two, the longer it took for the bond to dissipate. But free about six months of that and a still strong bond, Maria started doing some research. And she found a lot of things. A lot of unpleasant things. Few of which that lead to her husband but Maria kept searching in secret. She didn't tell anybody, not even Tony.

But Maria was determined to find out just what the hell happened to her omega.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it. :D
> 
> Please leave feedback and feel free to criticize; I am always looking for opportunities to grow.
> 
> I’ve launched an E-Zine where people submit their favorite fics and the best ones get published in the zine. I’m doing this because I want to create something that acknowledges fanfic writers and makes them feel confident about themselves while bringing people of different fandoms together. To submit your favorite fics, go [Here](https://goo.gl/forms/h0LI8s7WGgZV2gBl1)


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